Martin Panza, Vice President-Racing at Hollywood Park, reviewed the 60-day Spring/Summer Meet from the racing office on closing day Sunday and looked forward to a 40-day Autumn Meet.
"I thought everything went well," said Panza. "I was happy with the number of starters per race, the track played fair, and favorites won 33 per cent of the time.
"I was happy with the American Oaks," said Panza of the 3-year-old filly grass invitational that continued to attract horses from across the globe. Fillies from Kentucky, France and Ireland claimed the first four spots in a field of 12.
"Big days featuring races like the American Oaks and Hollywood Gold Cup continue to do well, although we were saddened by the absence of Heatseeker in the Gold Cup," said Panza. Handicap star Heatseeker, the heavy favorite for the Gold Cup, was scratched the day before the race because of an ankle injury and retired the following week.
Panza hopes the presence of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Oct. 24-25 will help the Autumn Meet, which will run for a record 40 days from Oct. 29-Dec. 21.
"Hopefully some of the East Coast stables will stay for the Turf Festival and our 2-year-old stakes," said Panza. The rich Turf Festival will be run one month after the Breeders' Cup during Thanksgiving Week, and the 2-year-old program will be climaxed by the $750,000 CashCall Futurity on closing weekend.
TRES BORRACHOS, COLONEL JOHN EYE TRAVERS REMATCH
Trainer and co-owner C. Beau Greely resisted the temptation of celebrating one of his biggest victories with Tres Borrachos in the $355,495 Swaps Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday at Hollywood Park in the style of a horse he named Three Drunks in Spanish.
"I just went home and barbequed and had a nice quiet dinner," said Greely here Sunday. "I called the other co-owners, two in Kentucky and one in South Carolina, and they were all ecstatic.
"Tres Borrachos came back great," said Greely of the gelding who posted the first stakes victory of his career as the longest shot in a field of four under newlywed jockey Tyler Baze.
"He was eating grass and cleaned up the feed tub," said Greely. "He's an easy horse to train and acts like he didn't run. He's like a pony in the morning, but in the afternoon he likes to fight."
Greely was mulling options for the gelding's next start. "We've been invited to the Haskell ($1 million at Monmouth Park Aug. 3), and we'll take a look at that," said Greely. "We're also considering the Travers ($1 million at Saratoga Aug. 23) and the West Virginia Derby ($750,000 at Mountaineer Park Aug. 2). The Travers is most likely."
The Travers is also projected as the next start for Colonel John, who finished third, beaten by 1¼ lengths as the 123-pound high weight and 4/5 favorite.
"Colonel John came back fine," said trainer Eoin Harty from Santa Anita. "I think the weight got to him in the last sixteenth. He gave nine pounds to the winner and four pounds to the runner-up. And he was coming back from a layoff. We're still going to the Travers."
Julio Canani, trainer of runner-up Two Step Salsa, said the colt had earned a break after four starts at this meet. "He came back good," said Canani. "He just got left at the start and it cost him a couple of lengths. He was third in the stretch and fought back for second (edging Colonel John by a head)."
Despite the setback, Everest Stable captured meet honors for wins with 13.
